Wednesday, August 3, 2022
A4
OPINION
VOICE of the CHIEFTAIN
Voters want
results
from their
elected
oïcials
O
ur elected leaders on both
sides of the aisle politi-
cally need to do much more
to realign themselves with the mid-
dle ground of America and shun the
high-powered rhetoric and shouts of
the lunatic fringe.
True, everyone in our great nation
has the right to express an opin-
ion, and that right is a sacred one that
must be guarded. However, during
the past decade it seems those who
sit on the opposite poles of the right
and left have gained new prominence,
their voices louder, their dogma more
militant.
In the Oregon Legislature there is a
clear divide between Democrats and
Republicans with the GOP vastly out-
numbered and relegated to an inefec-
tive minority. The state assembly polit-
ical roster mirrors our own national
stage politics in the sense there appar-
ently exists a wide gulf between what
each side desires. In Oregon, the
majority Democrats have the power
and use it in ways lawmakers believe
their constituents want.
Usually, when major political con-
nicts erupt, Republican lawmakers
face few alternatives other than simply
leaving the building to erase a quorum
needed for votes.
That means, essentially, that on
really critical issues, the normal dis-
course needed by a democracy to suc-
ceed breaks down. One side gains
the advantage, or in Oregon9s case at
times, one side is left standing alone
on the dance noor while the other is
long gone.
What those types of actions accom-
plish is to create a wider dissatisfac-
tion that continues to grow.
Oregonians have shown in polls
they want more out of this year9s
gubernatorial race than the usual
name-calling added to a good dose of
fear-mongering from the far edges of
both parties. Voters don9t want more
oghting. They want results.
Therein lies the problem. Because
results are not being measured 4
either here at home or on the national
political stage 4 by practicable results
but instead by which part of the far left
or right can gain ascendency.
Our elected lawmakers on both
sides of the political fence need to
begin to work together and to develop
concrete solutions to diïcult prob-
lems. Calling Democrats liberals bent
on destroying the republic and Repub-
licans as people who want to create
some kind of Handmaid9s Tale sys-
tem is not only ludicrous but prevents
problem-solving and creates more
turmoil.
The future of our nation and state
rests on our lawmakers9 ability to work
through problems. Not oghting.
Medicare for All would 8ox9 what isn9t broken
OTHER
VIEWS
Janet Trautwein
M
edicare for All remains on the
congressional docket. Sen. Ber-
nie Sanders, I-Vermont, recently
reintroduced his bid for a single-payer sys-
tem, claiming it would guarantee all Amer-
icans health coverage while lowering costs
and saving lives.
That9s a compelling sales pitch. How-
ever, the reality is that Medicare for All
would outlaw private health insurance and
force millions of Americans onto a single
government-run plan. And contrary to what
its proponents might suggest, Medicare for
All would lead to worse care for patients at
higher cost.
Even the idea9s supporters don9t seem
to know what it entails. According to poll-
ing from the Kaiser Family Foundation,
two-thirds of Medicare for All supporters
believe they9d be able to keep their private
insurance under a single-payer health care
system.
Sen. Sanders9s bill, of course, would
ban private plans. That might not sit well
with the 14 million Americans who pur-
chase private plans through the Afordable
Care Act9s exchanges. Almost three-quar-
ters of enrollees like the plan they have
now.
Outlawing private insurance coverage
also wouldn9t go over well with the 180
million Americans with employer-spon-
sored coverage. More than seven in 10 are
satisoed with their plans.
That makes sense. Employers compete
for employees in part by ofering gener-
ous health insurance. Workers beneot from
the great coverage, and employers bene-
ot by being able to attract and retain qual-
ity workers.
By forcing everyone onto the same
insurance plan, Medicare for All would
take that bargaining chip away from
employers and employees alike.
It9s no surprise that overall support for
Medicare for All 4 which usually hov-
ers around 50% 4 drops to just 37% when
people realize it would eliminate private
health insurance.
Support drops to just 26% when peo-
ple learn single-payer would lead to delays
in care.
Delays are endemic to single-payer
programs like Medicare for All. That9s
because the government would pay hos-
pitals and doctors below-market rates in
order to deliver the savings Sen. Sanders
promises.
Medicare and Medicaid pay less than
private insurers do. A single-payer plan
would extend those low payment rates to
everyone.
Providers today charge privately insured
patients more to make up for low reim-
bursements from public plans. They
wouldn9t be able to do that under Medicare
for All. The result would be budget deo-
cits for 90% of hospitals, according to one
study from FTI Consulting.
Providers would have little choice but to
restrict access to services 4 if they9re able
to keep their doors open. Patients would
face long waits for subpar treatment.
That9s exactly what happens in other
countries with single-payer health care. In
the United Kingdom9s National Health Ser-
vice, there are more than 6 million people
waiting for hospital care. Thousands have
been waiting for more than two years.
Similarly, under Canada9s single-payer
system, patients face a median wait of
nearly six months from the time they9re
referred by a general practitioner to receipt
of treatment from a specialist.
Under Medicare for All, American
patients would experience similar fates.
That was the conclusion of Phillip Swa-
gel, director of the Congressional Budget
Oïce, who recently told Congress that sin-
gle-payer would increase <congestion in
the health care system, including delays
and forgone care.=
Those delays and forgone care would
cost Americans a lot of money 4 more
than $30 trillion over a decade.
Less than 10% of the American pop-
ulation is uninsured. There are far more
cost-efective ways to expand access to
afordable coverage.
For example, the additional subsidies
provided by the American Rescue Plan Act
have helped more than 3 million Ameri-
cans secure coverage through the Aford-
able Care Act9s exchanges for less than $10
a month. Extending those subsidies perma-
nently could continue to make private cov-
erage afordable for millions.
The Afordable Care Act has also driven
down coverage inequities, especially in
states that have expanded Medicaid. That9s
a testament to the power of building on
the parts of our health care system that are
working.
Lawmakers should focus their eforts
there 4 not on Medicare for All.
444
Janet Trautwein is chief executive oï-
cer of the National Association of Health
Underwriters.
Joseph Days Rodeo is a community event
that is fun for locals and gives us a chance
to show visitors what makes this place so
special. I attended the Saturday night event
and, for the most part, had a blast. The ath-
letes (human and animal) were stellar, giv-
ing as much as they got. The fans were
fun, courteous and clearly loved the show.
The rodeo is a true cultural treasure.
However, the announcer, Jody Carper,
needs to leave his continued cheap polit-
ical shots out of the event. He seems to
be playing to a TV audience in order to
improve ratings, rather than lifting up what
makes the rodeo and this community spe-
cial. Let9s bring people together in cele-
brating the athletes, our community and
our country.
We can do better.
Oh, and to those drivers who move to
the other lane when you can safely do so
in order to pass a cyclist (and that9s more
than 90% of you). Thanks for being driv-
ers I brag to others about.
Mike Mercer
Joseph
LETTERS to the EDITOR
Wallowa County
can do better
When I moved to Wallowa County, one
of the primary attributes I was looking for
4 and found 4 was a sense of commu-
nity, one that promised, <If you are stuck
on the side of the road, I9ll stop and help.=
Or, if you9re struggling with a health issue,
<you can count on me to assist where I
can.= I have been on both sides of the
equation and it works.
We can do better however. The Chief
Wallowa County9s Newspaper Since 1884
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